Royal Obsession (Shadow Assassins 1)

by Cyndi Friberg

  Chapter Eight

  Varrik withdrew from Aila’s mind as Echo completed the healing. Each time he interacted with Echo on the metaphysical plane it filled him with confusing emotions, desires so different from what he felt in the flesh that he hardly recognized himself. He longed to protect her, surround her with warmth and tenderness. Soul’s mate. He’d heard the phrase whispered all his life, but he hadn’t understood the concept until his energy joined with Echo’s.

  He stood back and watched her work. A visible radiance shone from her features and surrounded her elegant hands. She was purity and light in a world that knew only darkness. He shook away the useless thought, surprised by his own sentimentality.

  “If this is not her primary gift, what other treasures does she conceal?”

  “My claim is valid.” He pivoted to face Elder South, infuriated still by his brutality. “Any and all treasures she might conceal are not your concern.”

  “Claims are only valid when we choose to honor them.”

  “A claim must be honored for the first lunar cycle unless the male’s seed fails to take root. Even the elders are bound by that law.”

  South’s smile turned cruel. “You might have secured your claim to this one, but her sister has yet to be mounted.”

  “I’m descended from the north. There is only one elder who can overturn my claim.”

  South chuckled. “You know the law, there’s no denying that.”

  “Was Aila’s abuse sanctioned by the Council of Elders, or were you acting on your own?”

  “I don’t answer to you, sweeper!”

  “No, but you answer to the other elders. Somehow I don’t think Elder North would have approved what you did to Aila.”

  Ignoring the comment, South crossed the chamber and paused near the archway. “Wouldn’t it be tragic if your rash decision brings war to the world below? We’ve managed to avoid it for so long.”

  Varrik rubbed his forehead, stomping down his need to unleash his fury. North was the only elder who suspected the full range of Varrik’s abilities. For the time being it was better if the others didn’t know. He could command South’s heart to stop beating and teleport the women to safety. But how would he protect E’Lanna in the aftermath?

  South waited another moment for a response, then snorted and left the hall.

  “What did he mean?”

  He turned his head and found Echo’s curious gaze fixed on him. Her perceptiveness was a continual challenge. “He’s been looking for an excuse to move against Elder North. I might have just given him one.”

  “Is North a name or a title?” She fiddled with the metal shackle securing Aila’s wrist. “How does this open?”

  Moving in front of Aila, he sent a telepathic command to the restraints and caught Aila as she crumpled into his arms.

  “Is everyone in the maze telepathic?”

  Wait until we return to my chamber. He crossed the hall with Aila cradled against his chest. “Stay close and be quiet.” Miraculously, Echo obeyed. They didn’t speak again until Aila was resting comfortably in her own bed.

  “Is she safe here?”

  “South has no reason to harm her now.” He sounded almost convincing. No one would be safe if South launched an offensive. East and West would be forced to choose sides. Neutrality had no meaning in the Shadow Maze.

  He reached for Elder North, intending to warn him of South’s hostility. There was no response to his seeker pulse. Encapsulating thoughts and images, he left them in the energy stream for North to activate as soon as he returned to the maze. Varrik paused, his worried gaze returning to Aila’s pale face. There had to be something more he could do. He flipped over the security panel on her nightstand and launched a subroutine. If anyone entered the room, Elder North would be notified.

  “We’ve done all we can.” He led Echo into the corridor. She followed him back to his chamber, her calm obedience making him wary.

  “If you intend to erase all memory of this place when you release me, why is it forbidden to answer my questions?” she asked the moment the door slid closed behind them.

  “It’s not technically forbidden.” He crossed to the closet adjacent to his bed. “I just don’t want the elders to hear what I’m about to say. Elder North is the only one powerful enough to penetrate the shield surrounding my chamber, and he’s left the maze.”

  “How many elders are there? Who is Vade? What did South mean when he said—”

  “We can sit down and discuss the history of the maze, or we can rescue E’Lanna.”

  She placed her hand on his upper arm, the hope in her gaze a bittersweet torment. “You know where he took her?” The catch in her voice drove the blade deeper, exposing emotions he wasn’t ready to feel.

  Why was he doing this? As soon as he left the maze, he would brand himself a traitor and ostracize himself from the only life he’d ever known. North’s ruthlessness had never bothered him before. Everyone did what must be done. Still, snatching E’Lanna crossed the line. It undermined Varrik’s claim and revealed North’s disloyalty.

  Varrik had never felt so alone.

  “I’ve got a pretty good idea.” After rummaging through his closet for a moment, he pushed the door shut. “All my clothes are similar to these. We’ll have to worry about it later.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “The original maze fell to ruin, so we constructed a larger, more technologically advanced compound. I think E’Lanna is in the old maze.”

  “There are two of these underground warrens, and we haven’t been able to find either one?” The disbelief in her tone made Varrik chuckle.

  “You’ll feel even more inept when I tell you the rest. The original maze was constructed beneath the Conservatory.”

  “That’s how you got to us. You teleported into the old maze, then up to the surface.”

  He didn’t confirm or deny her conclusion. “Wrap your arms around my waist and reach out to your sister.” All he needed to establish the link was physical contact, and she felt so good pressed against him. He closed his arms around her and inhaled the fresh scent of her hair.

  Echo soared across the metaphysical plane, a blur of light and color so mesmerizing, Varrik almost forgot to follow. He launched his being after her, flowing, tumbling. With her, yet separate from her.

  E’Lanna’s image emerged from the mist. Varrik pulled back, expanding his perspective to verify the location. As he thought, E’Lanna was in the ruins of the original Shadow Maze. He waited until Echo locked on to E’Lanna’s signal, then he pushed energy into their corporeal bodies, propelling them along the energy stream.

  Darkness closed in, pressure built to painful extremes. Echo clung to him, her being fixed on her sister. He pushed harder, drove them faster, visualizing the next step.

  With a sharp gasp, their bodies reunited with their spirits and the world snapped into focus. He pressed a quick kiss to Echo’s forehead and scooped up E’Lanna’s unconscious body. “Get behind me and hold on tight.”

  The door burst open, and two guards rushed into the tiny chamber. Varrik drove a sleep compulsion deep into the first man’s brain. Echo launched herself at the second, kicking the pulse pistol out of his hand. He grabbed for her, but she moved with grace and agility, each blow precise and forceful. The guard’s head snapped back as she caught his jaw with the heel of her hand.

  As fascinated as Varrik was by her skill, they couldn’t risk reinforcements. He reached into the second man’s mind and rendered him unconscious.

  “Nifty trick,” Echo said, panting softly. “My aunt can do the same thing.”

  He doubted her aunt could reproduce all his nifty tricks, but he wasn’t about to argue the point right now. Alarms would have sounded across North’s telepathic link the instant they entered the room. They had no time to lose.

  “Let’s go,” he ordered.

  Echo pressed against his back, her slender arms wrapped around his waist. He pictured their destination, bound
Echo’s signal to his, and launched them across the metaphysical plane.